Handcuff holster



Aug. 4, 1964 P. T. SULLIVAN HANDCUFF HOLSTER Filed Sept. 4, 1962INVENTOR.

PAUL T. SULLIVAN BY V A'T ORNE'Y 3,143,262 HANDCUFF HGLSTER Paul T.Sullivan, 1465 W. Waters St., Elmira, N.Y. Filed Sept. 4, 1962, Ser. No.221,022 4 Claims. (Cl. 2242) The present invention relates to a handcuifholster and more particularly to a holster intended specifically for thepurpose of holding a handcuff of the type shown and described in thepatent to Srnith-Stange, 1,950,757, issued March 13, 1934.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel holster forthis purpose which will securely hold the handcutf in the best possibleposition for instant use.

It is another object to provide such a device incorporating means toprevent insertion of the handcufi in the holster except when thehandculf is in properly adjusted condition for instant use.

It is another object to provide such a device incorporating means tomaintain the locking sleeve of the patented handcufi in retractedposition so that there is no possibility of its interferinginadvertently with the closure of the handcutf on the limb of the personto be placed under forcible arrest.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a preferred form of the holster partlybroken away and in section to show the position of the handcufi whenseated therein;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the holster with the handcuif seatedtherein, the operating handle of the handcuif being removed for the sakeof clarity;

FIG. 3 is a side view taken at right angles to the position shown inFIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail partly broken away and in section of thespindle and sleeves for controlling the actuation of the jaws of thehandcuff;

FIG. 5 is an elevation of one of the elastic inserts used to press thetops of the side panels of the holster against the handcufi seatedtherein; and

FIG. 6 is an edge view of the same showing the manner in which it isbent.

In order to properly set forth the structural features of the presentinvention and their intended use, it is necessary to show and describebriefly the structure of the patented handcufi for which it ispeculiarly adapted. For convenience, the elements of the handcuif arehere designated by the same numerals as used in the cited patent.

Said handcuff, as best shown in FIG. 1, consists essentially of a pairof jaws 13 which are hinged to a body 10 and moved to open and closedpositions by appropriate rotation of a threaded spindle 18 (FIG. 4) bymeans of handle bar 21. Rotation of the spindle 18 in the direction toopen the jaws 13 is normally prevented by a sleeve 22 splined on thespindle 18 as shown at 25, 26, and having a ratchet connection 24 to thebody 10 which may be released by manual retraction of the sleeve 22against the force of spring 29. Knurled blocking sleeve 23, threaded onspindle 18 beneath the handle bar 21 prevents disengagement of ratchetteeth 24 when the sleeve 23 is threaded down into abutting relation withsleeve 22 by the operator.

The patented handcutf has been found useful and efiicacious for itspurpose, but heretofore there has been no device provided whereby thehandcuif while carried by the operator is maintained instantly availablefor singlehanded use. More particularly no holster has been providedhaving means for insuring that the jaws 13 of the United States Patent 03,143,262 Patented Aug. 4., 1964 handcuff are always in open positionwhile the handcuif is being carried by the police oflicer, and that thesleeve 23 is never inadvertently permitted to be threaded down on thespindle 18 as by means of friction against the clothing of the oficercarrying the handcutf so as to interfere with or delay the utilizationof the handcuif.

According to the present invention, the holster is formed of two sidepanels 1, 2 of leather or other suitable material of generallytriangular shape joined at their bases and part way up their sides asillustrated more particularly in FIG. 3. A block 3 of generallyrectangular shape is anchored between the side panels 1, 2 adjacent thebottom of the pocket formed thereby as by means of rivets 4. The block 3is slightly thicker than the jaws 13 in order to space the panels 1, 2for the reception of said jaws, and is slightly shorter in length thanthe space between said jaws when they are wide open, so that said blockprevents the insertion of the handcuff in the holster except when thejaws are in open position. The block 3 also serves to center thehandcuff in the holster and maintain the handle bar 21 and sleeve 23 inproper position.

The tops or apices 5, 6 of the panels 1, 2 are so dimensioned andcontoured as to bear on the knurled portion of the sleeve 23 when thehandcuif is seated in the holster, so as to frictionally resist rotationof said sleeve. In order to provide adequate pressure of said apices onthe sleeve 23, spring steel inserts 7 are preferably molded or otherwiseincorporated in the panels, said inserts being contoured in the mannershown in FIG. 6 whereby they exert adequate inward pressure on saidapices.

The panel 1 of the holster is formed with vertical slots 8, 9 for thepassage of a body belt or the like whereby the holster will be carriedin an upright position at the waist of the ofiicer. The slots 8, 9 arelocated substantially above the joined portions of the panels 1, 2 andextend adjacent the apex of the panel 1 as seen in FIG. 3. By thisarrangement, the handcuif can be readily inserted in the sheath since itis only necessary for the operator to bend away the apex 6 of the panel2 with one hand in order to open the holster for the insertion of thehandcuff held in the other hand, inasmuch as the apex 5 of the panel 1is held back by the belt of the ofiicer.

In utilizing the holster, it is necessary for the operator to open thejaws of the handcutf before he can insert it into the holster, and inorder to do this he must back-off the blocking sleeve 23 to itsinoperative position. When the handcutf is thus holstered it is firmlyheld in position by the pressure of the apices of the panels on thesleeve, and rotation of the sleeve into its blocking position is alsoprevented. When it is desired to use the handcuif, it is only necessaryto jerk it from the sheath by means of the handle 21 and to apply it forits intended purpose by rotation of the handle 21 to close the jaws onthe arm of the person resisting arrest. Thereafter the blocking sleeve23 may be threaded down by the thumb and finger of the operator toprevent undesired release of the handcuif.

Although but one form of the invention has been shown and described indetail, it will be understood that minor changes may be made in thedesign and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A holster for a handeuff having jaws pivotally mounted for openingand closing movement means for actuating said jaws and means movableinto and out of operative position for preventing actuation of saidjaws;

said holster comprising a pocket for receiving said jaws,

2. A holster for a handcufi as set forth in claim 1 in which said pocketcomprises a pair of side panels of generally triangular shape joinedtogether at their bases and part way up their sides, and

said means for preventing insertion of the handcufi comprises asubstantially rectangular block anchored j to said side panels adjacentthe bottom of the pocket, said block having a thickness slightly greaterthan that ofthe jaws of the handcuif to thereby space said panels toreceive said jaws,

and having a length slightly less than the space be- I tween said jawswhen wide open, to permit said jaws to embrace said block and enter saidpocket only while said jaws are open.

3. A holster for a handcufi as set forth in claim 1 in which said pocketcomprises a pair of side panels of generally triangular shape joinedtogether at their bases and part way up their sides, and spaced for thereception of the jaws of the handcuif therebetween, and

said elastic means being arranged to press the apices of said panelstoward each other and into frictional contact with said means on thehandcuif for preventing actuation of said jaws, while the handcufi ispositioned in said holster. 4. A holster for a handcufi as set forth inclaim 3 in which one of said side panels is provided with means forattachment to a body belt or the like, said attaching means beinglocated substantially above the joined portions of the panels, andextending adjacent the apex of said panel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,413,290 OLeary Apr. 18, 1922 1,894,540 Peirce Jan. 7, 1933 1,950,757Smith-Stange Mar. 13, 1934 2,066,654 Smith-Stange Ian. 5, 1937

1. A HOLSTER FOR A HANDCUFF HAVING JAWS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED FOR OPENINGAND CLOSING MOVEMENT MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID JAWS AND MEANS MOVABLEINTO AND OUT OF OPERATIVE POSITION FOR PREVENTING ACTUATION OF SAIDJAWS; SAID HOLSTER COMPRISING A POCKET FOR RECEIVING SAID JAWS, MEANS INSAID POCKET TO PREVENT INSERTION OF THE HANDCUFF THEREIN EXCEPT WHILETHE JAWS ARE IN OPEN POSITION, AND ELASTIC MEANS FOR RESISTINGWITHDRAWAL OF THE HANDCUFF FROM SAID POCKET, SAID ELASTIC MEANS ALSOCOMPRISING MEANS FOR MAINTAINING IN INOPERATIVE POSITION SAID MEANS FORPREVENTING ACTUATION OF SAID JAWS.